Missing Missoni Plane Found Off the Coast of Venezuela, Family Issues Statement

After five days of intensive deep-water searching and as many months of investigation, the plane that had been carrying fashion magnate Vittorio Missoni, his partner Maurizia Castiglioni, two friends, and two crewmembers was found off the coast of Venezuela. The Italian heir and his fellow passengers had been missing since January 4, when their small jet disappeared. Authorities are currently assessing how best to retrieve the wreckage uncovered by The Deep Sea, a highly sensitive oceanographic search ship.

Discovered just north of the Los Roques islands, where the plane was last seen before takeoff, the wreckage was formally identified in a statement issued jointly by the affected families this morning: “The families thank the Venezuelan government and the Italian government for the effort in having made this search possible. They are confident that the investigation will follow through to the ascertainment of the causes and the responsibility for the accident.”

While details about the fate of those on board have not been released, the discovery concludes what has been a heartbreaking ordeal for the high-profile family. Previously, members of the famous clan had publicly articulated hopes that the plane’s passengers had been kidnapped; the February recovery of a bag believed to have been on the aircraft, however, portended a different scenario. At this time, the cause of the crash remains unknown.